Flying with your baby doesn't need to be the nightmare that many parents envision. Infants are very adaptable and can be great travelers. With these 5 tips and a little confidence, your child can quickly become a frequent flyer...
Sally Black
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There is a big wide world of unique family vacation ideas just waiting for you and your kids out there. Sometimes when parents are in need of a vacation, it's easier to just do the same old thing or go with the flow. Often vacation planning happens after a long day at work, late in the evening after homework and baths are done and the kids are in bed. It can be hard to muster up creative thinking at the end of a long day. No worries, our staff here at Vacationkids have created 10 categories of unique family vacation ideas that can help you plan a memorable family vacation.
Editor's note - This post was updated May 2018 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Family cruises are a great value for a family vacation. If you're trying to plan a family cruise vacation, cost and budgets are top considerations for most parents.
If you're new to family cruises, how do you know how they will cost for your family and how much to budget for such a trip?
The Cruise Line International Association estimates about 17 million folks enjoyed a cruise in 2012. They expect this number to climb between 4-5% for 2013. Family cruises are a huge reason why these number are climbing, especially family cruise groups like multi generational vacations with kids, family reunions and family celebrations of all sorts.
Two is company, three is a crowd! This is certainly true when it comes to planning family of five vacations. Most hotels define a typical family as “two adults sharing one hotel room with two children under the age of twelve”. Hotels then use this definition to structure their prices and create occupancy rules. When you take the time to read the very small print in hotel brochures or on their websites you'll see a line that reads - “BASED ON DOUBLE ADULT OCCUPANCY”. This means the basic hotel room price is based on at least two adult people sharing one hotel room. Hotels also base their maximum occupancy rules on this definition meaning that each hotel room will only be allowed to hold a maximum of two large and two smaller bodies. Remember these two important points...maximum occupancy and pricing because their are very important as I explain later on....
When your third little bundle of joy enters this world, your family suddenly become a family of five. Your family now consists of two adult parents and three children. All is wonderful with the world until you all try to go on vacation together. Now your family of five suddenly doesn't fit the typical hotel's definition of what constitutes a family. When it comes to maximum room occupancy, your family doesn't fit into a standard room any more because now you have one extra kid. It doesn't matter whether you can all sleep in one king bed, bring sleeping bags for the floor or if your youngest can still fit in the dresser drawer. According to most hotel and pricing rules, you are simply NOT allowed to all stay in one room....Sorry but this just ain't happening.
But wait - it gets worse...
Here at our main Vacationkids office located in the Pocono Mountains in PA we're getting our first weather forecast for measurable snowfall tonight from our local weatherman. Tis the season I guess. Many of our families across the country have already had their first encounter with the white stuff. We can tell because that's usually when our phones start ringing. Usually with the first signs of winter come desperate phone calls from parents looking to head "someplace warm and cheap" for Spring Break.
The 2012 Family holiday travel season officially kicks off today. This year AAA is predicting there will be over 43 million folks planning to travel this holiday. There will be a slight increase on the roads for a total of 39 million traveling by car and over 3 million traveling by air. With a bit of smart planning, parents can can keep everyone in good spirits (even without alcohol!...just kidding).
Often the hardest part of planning vacations for kids is coming up with a great idea. Finding a place that will be fun for the kids without being a torture for parents.
Cheap family vacations are out there, parents just need to information on how to find family vacation deals. Affordabel family vacations are not always the best deal. What parents really want is the best value for their vacation dollars. If your family is in desperate need of a vacation, here are some tips to make your affordable family vacation a reality...
Money Saving Priorities - You may think your family will never be able to afford a great vacation but many times planning and saving for a family vacation just isn't a priority. In many cases, the money is there but saving for a vacation just isn't a priority. Take inventory of your family spending and make a budget to save. Put the kids to work collecting and banking any loose change around the house. Perhaps you can cut back on eating meals out, wait for DVD releases instead of a night out at the cinema...bank those bucks and you'll be surprised how quickly your family vacation budget will grow.
Points and Mileage - If your job makes you a road warrior, be sure to enroll and save your frequent flyer miles. They can help shave spending on airfares for your family vacation. Credit card reward points can also help offset travel costs. Families can quickly build points by using their credit card to buy essentials like groceries and gas. Be careful that you budget correctly as credit card interest will hurt your efforts.
Passports - This is one of those cases where you have to spend money in order to save money. Investing in passports will open up a world of travel possibilities for your family. In many cases, a Caribbean or Mexican all inclusive family resorts can often work out to be far cheaper than a theme park vacation or renting a house at the shore (not to mention a lot less work for mom). Operating costs for all inclusive resorts are far less expensive in the Caribbean and Mexico. That's why most all inclusive resorts are located there. They offer families great vacation values.
Discounts in Numbers - The best deal is a FREE family vacation. One way to save is to become a group leader. If you can get enough people to join you, then you can travel for FREE. Generally speaking, this means for every 10 double adult hotel rooms (20 adults), the 21st adult stays for free. For every 8 double adult cruise cabins (16 adults), the 17th adult sails for free. With Airlines, for every 20 seats, the 21st flies for free. If you have a big family, are active with your church, community, have a large blog following or warm the bench with other parents during your kids sports games, group discounts could really work to your benefit. Many of our groups have so much fun, folks commit to taking group vacations year after year! Please know you will be responsible for paying all taxes on free vacations (because Uncle Sam never gives anyone a free ride). Group discount fine print and rules vary. Vacationkids travel agents are glad to help explain all the rules for you and even supply flyers, brochures and support to help you get the word out to everyone you'd like to invite.
Family Vacation Budget - There are millions of vacation options out there. When trying to plan a family vacation, parents can easily get confused and loose focus. Have a family meeting, communicate with one another and decide the type of vacation you want. Setting a budget will help narrow your choices. Your Vacationkids travel agents will ask you for your family vacation budget as it allows them to work efficiently on your behalf to find a vacation that best suits your family and pocketbook. Family vacations are suppose to be fun. No parent wants to dread opening the credit card bill a month later!
Compare Family Vacation Values - An all inclusive family resort or a family cruise include features like transportation, meals, kids activities and entertainment. When you are comparing different vacation options, be sure to calculate and budget for food, sightseeing, activities and entertainment. When Vacationkids quotes family vacation prices to parents, we include taxes and fees. Be aware that many cheap family vacation deals found on the internet do NOT include taxes and fees. These necessary costs can often add up to hundreds of extra dollars.
Plan Ahead - At Vacationkids we often joke saying "planning a family vacation is just like planning a family...you need to work about 9 months in advance". Airline prices soar the closer you get to your departure dates. Hotels and resorts also offer deals far in advance. By planning ahead you have first choice of flight schedules and room options. If you have three or more kids and need a family of five resort or a larger cruise cabin, these accommodations are always the first to sell out. Once they are gone the costs of purchasing upgraded or additional accommodations may make your entire vacation cost prohibitive. Many resorts and cruise lines will offer price protection. This means if you book your family vacation in advance and there is a last minute price drop, you will be guaranteed the lower price.
Supply and Demand - The entire travel industry is based on supply and demand. This is particularly true with family vacations. Most families need to travel with their kids are out of school. This is why prices will jump anywhere from 35-70% during popular family travel weeks like the December Holidays or Spring Break. Avoid these weeks if you're looking for a deal. To save money and find great family vacation deals, think in reverse. To take advantage of great deals, try to take your vacation during September, early December or May. No problem if your children are not yet school age or if you homeschool. If you are tied to a school calendar, perhaps try to plan a couple of shorter escapes. Check your school calendar for some teacher in service days or consider taking the kids out of school to learn everything that travel has to offer.
Flexibility - Perhaps you've always wanted to take a Caribbean Cruise but can't afford a week at sea. Maybe a 3 or 4 night cruise will work? Sometimes, flying mid week instead of weekend to weekend can save parents a great deal. Are you willing to take your kids out of school for a great vacation deal?...the more flexible you can be, the greater chance you'll have of finding better family vacation deals.
Deal or NO Deal - Parents may hear about a fantastic Vacation deal on TV or online. Some tropical hotel is offering dirt, cheap rates too good to be true. Yes, the hotel may be cheap but airfares to that remote destination may be priced out of this world or your family must be willing to take double connecting flights to get there. Perhaps the airfares are affordable, but it may mean a four hour jungle trek for you and the kids so you're loosing two travel days out of your vacation week. Maybe they neglected to include taxes in the advertised price? Once again, this is where Vacationkids travel agents can help you make sure you are getting the best value for your family vacation dollar. Our experts can help you navigate and understand all the fine print.
An affordable family vacation is certainly possible. With a little planning, information and know how Vacationkids can make it happen for your family. Our vacationkids travel agents know all the latest family vacation deals out there, even ones not listed on our website. More important, we know which deals will work best for the specific needs of your family.
Money Saving Priorities - You may think your family will never be able to afford a great vacation but many times planning and saving for a family vacation just isn't a priority. In many cases, the money is there but saving for a vacation just isn't a priority. Take inventory of your family spending and make a budget to save. Put the kids to work collecting and banking any loose change around the house. Perhaps you can cut back on eating meals out, wait for DVD releases instead of a night out at the cinema...bank those bucks and you'll be surprised how quickly your family vacation budget will grow.
Points and Mileage - If your job makes you a road warrior, be sure to enroll and save your frequent flyer miles. They can help shave spending on airfares for your family vacation. Credit card reward points can also help offset travel costs. Families can quickly build points by using their credit card to buy essentials like groceries and gas. Be careful that you budget correctly as credit card interest will hurt your efforts.
Passports - This is one of those cases where you have to spend money in order to save money. Investing in passports will open up a world of travel possibilities for your family. In many cases, a Caribbean or Mexican all inclusive family resorts can often work out to be far cheaper than a theme park vacation or renting a house at the shore (not to mention a lot less work for mom). Operating costs for all inclusive resorts are far less expensive in the Caribbean and Mexico. That's why most all inclusive resorts are located there. They offer families great vacation values.
Discounts in Numbers - The best deal is a FREE family vacation. One way to save is to become a group leader. If you can get enough people to join you, then you can travel for FREE. Generally speaking, this means for every 10 double adult hotel rooms (20 adults), the 21st adult stays for free. For every 8 double adult cruise cabins (16 adults), the 17th adult sails for free. With Airlines, for every 20 seats, the 21st flies for free. If you have a big family, are active with your church, community, have a large blog following or warm the bench with other parents during your kids sports games, group discounts could really work to your benefit. Many of our groups have so much fun, folks commit to taking group vacations year after year! Please know you will be responsible for paying all taxes on free vacations (because Uncle Sam never gives anyone a free ride). Group discount fine print and rules vary. Vacationkids travel agents are glad to help explain all the rules for you and even supply flyers, brochures and support to help you get the word out to everyone you'd like to invite.
Family Vacation Budget - There are millions of vacation options out there. When trying to plan a family vacation, parents can easily get confused and loose focus. Have a family meeting, communicate with one another and decide the type of vacation you want. Setting a budget will help narrow your choices. Your Vacationkids travel agents will ask you for your family vacation budget as it allows them to work efficiently on your behalf to find a vacation that best suits your family and pocketbook. Family vacations are suppose to be fun. No parent wants to dread opening the credit card bill a month later!
Compare Family Vacation Values - An all inclusive family resort or a family cruise include features like transportation, meals, kids activities and entertainment. When you are comparing different vacation options, be sure to calculate and budget for food, sightseeing, activities and entertainment. When Vacationkids quotes family vacation prices to parents, we include taxes and fees. Be aware that many cheap family vacation deals found on the internet do NOT include taxes and fees. These necessary costs can often add up to hundreds of extra dollars.
Plan Ahead - At Vacationkids we often joke saying "planning a family vacation is just like planning a family...you need to work about 9 months in advance". Airline prices soar the closer you get to your departure dates. Hotels and resorts also offer deals far in advance. By planning ahead you have first choice of flight schedules and room options. If you have three or more kids and need a family of five resort or a larger cruise cabin, these accommodations are always the first to sell out. Once they are gone the costs of purchasing upgraded or additional accommodations may make your entire vacation cost prohibitive. Many resorts and cruise lines will offer price protection. This means if you book your family vacation in advance and there is a last minute price drop, you will be guaranteed the lower price.
Supply and Demand - The entire travel industry is based on supply and demand. This is particularly true with family vacations. Most families need to travel with their kids are out of school. This is why prices will jump anywhere from 35-70% during popular family travel weeks like the December Holidays or Spring Break. Avoid these weeks if you're looking for a deal. To save money and find great family vacation deals, think in reverse. To take advantage of great deals, try to take your vacation during September, early December or May. No problem if your children are not yet school age or if you homeschool. If you are tied to a school calendar, perhaps try to plan a couple of shorter escapes. Check your school calendar for some teacher in service days or consider taking the kids out of school to learn everything that travel has to offer.
Flexibility - Perhaps you've always wanted to take a Caribbean Cruise but can't afford a week at sea. Maybe a 3 or 4 night cruise will work? Sometimes, flying mid week instead of weekend to weekend can save parents a great deal. Are you willing to take your kids out of school for a great vacation deal?...the more flexible you can be, the greater chance you'll have of finding better family vacation deals.
Deal or NO Deal - Parents may hear about a fantastic Vacation deal on TV or online. Some tropical hotel is offering dirt, cheap rates too good to be true. Yes, the hotel may be cheap but airfares to that remote destination may be priced out of this world or your family must be willing to take double connecting flights to get there. Perhaps the airfares are affordable, but it may mean a four hour jungle trek for you and the kids so you're loosing two travel days out of your vacation week. Maybe they neglected to include taxes in the advertised price? Once again, this is where Vacationkids travel agents can help you make sure you are getting the best value for your family vacation dollar. Our experts can help you navigate and understand all the fine print.
An affordable family vacation is certainly possible. With a little planning, information and know how Vacationkids can make it happen for your family. Our vacationkids travel agents know all the latest family vacation deals out there, even ones not listed on our website. More important, we know which deals will work best for the specific needs of your family.
Vacationkids was recently invited by Karmisa Resort to preview El Dorado Generations prior to its opening. Some areas are still under construction be we are very pleased to offer our fans this review.
